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Tips for Parents: Bedtime Stories

Bedtime stories play an important role in a child’s development. Not only do bedtime stories create an opportunity for parents to bond with their children, having a reading routine at the same time every night can help them establish healthy sleep. Children with great sleep habits are more likely to retain what they’ve learned in school, grasp new material quickly, and think through problems creatively.

Researchers have found that children who were raised with a regular routine of listening to and reading bedtime stories have a higher-than-average rate of childhood literacy.

Click this link for tips to successful bedtime stories from TUCK. 

Differentiated Instructional Strategy: Think-Tac-Toe

Think-Tac-Toe

A strategy that allows students to choose how they will show what they are learning by giving them a variety of activities to choose from. Students are given a 3 x 3 grid, just like tic-tac-toe, with the exception that each spot is filled with an activity.

Assignment Options:

üEarly finishers.

üChoose one activity per column, row, or diagonal with a total of 3.

üChoose any three activities on the grid.

üAssign for homework.

üGive deadlines for completion.

Differentiated Instructional Strategy: Walk, Talk, Learn

Walk, Talk, Learn

This strategy is great to do outside when the weather is nice.

ü Present a new concept.

ü Students in groups of 2-4 take a walk and discuss what they learned about the new concept.

ü After walking for approximately 5 minutes, gather the entire class together.

ü Each group takes turns sharing what was discussed on the walk.

Differentiated Instructional Strategy: Yes/No - Why?

Yes/No - Why?

This strategy helps students develop opinions and encourages friendly debate.

ü Pose a statement.

ü Pair a “yes” response to a “no” response.

ü Take turns listening and sharing your reason.

This strategy can also be used as a vocabulary practice activity or an assessment tool. It helps students to think relationally, using the meaning of the words to explain their answers.

ü Juxtapose two or more vocabulary words into a question.

ü Students must pair with a partner and answer yes, no, and why.

Examples: Can a police officer be a criminal?

Can someone recover from a fatal injury?

Differentiated Instructional Strategy: Reflective Journaling

Reflective Journaling

Reflective journals are notebooks that students use when writing about their own thoughts. This helps students sort what they know from what they don't know.

ü Students are given a journal prompt.

Prompt suggestions: quotes, riddles, questions

ü Students respond to the prompt by:

o    Expressing their feelings on the prompt

o   Agreeing or disagreeing with the prompt

o   Discussing how it relates to the subject matter

 

This strategy can be used with any content area.

Reading- to assess reading progress and comprehension

Writing- quality of their writing, ability to transfer thoughts into written words, or creativity of writing

Math- problem-solving skills and comprehension of new material

Science- develop questions that make new concepts clear and understandable

Social Studies- connect prior knowledge with new knowledge

Differentiated Instructional Strategy: ORID

ORID

This is a strategy for student reflection.

ORID grid:

A new learning experience for me was…	Something that was affirmed for me was…
I can use this information to…	Something else I would like to know about this subject is…

Differentiated Instructional Strategy: KWL

KWL

This strategy helps teachers assess students’ level of understanding.

ü      Create a KWL chart.

ü      Complete the first two columns before the topic is introduced.

ü      The final column is completed after instruction and discussion of the topic.

KNOW       WANT to know       LEARNED

Click here to purchase our Differentiated Instructional Strategy Posters and Reference Cards

Differentiated Instructional Strategy: Think, Pair, Share

Think, Pair, Share

Confidence-building while learning

    ü The teacher poses a question.

ü Students are given time to think about the question. Note taking is allowed.

ü Partners are assigned.

ü Partners share their answer with each other.

ü The pair shares with the whole group.

Students who are reluctant to share in a large group may be more confident sharing with a partner. This makes it easier to transition into sharing with the entire class.

Click here to purchased our Differentiated Instructional Strategy Posters and Reference Cards.

Differentiated Instructional Strategy: AQS

Differentiation is a method of teaching that recognizes that students learn in different ways. Carol Ann Tomlinson believes differentiation means giving students multiple options for taking in information. Author Laura Robb said "differentiating instruction means that you observe and understand the differences and similarities among students and use this information to plan instruction." 

Here, we focus on a particular differentiated instructional strategy: AQS!

AQS

  

After a presentation is shared with you:

ü Say something you APPRECIATE about it.

ü Ask a QUESTION about it.

ü SUGGEST one thing the presenter might do to raise the quality of his/her work. 

Appreciate, Question, Suggest

Click here to purchase our Differentiated Instructional Strategy Poster and Reference Cards.

Amazing Anchor Charts for Reading Comprehension

What are Anchor Charts?

Anchor Charts are instructional tools educators display in the classroom, which students use as a reference. Information displayed on the Anchor Charts provide support for a lesson the teacher, and it can remind students of routines and expectations in the classroom.

Anchor Charts are typically created on chart paper or an interactive white board. They are created by the teacher and students together, during a lesson or class discussion. Both teacher and student are responsible for recording the ideas the class generates.

Anchor Charts for

Reading Comprehension 

Character Journey (By: Literacy & Math Ideas)

Understanding a Character (By: The Teacher Next Door)

Using Context Clues (By: Teacher Trap!)

Decoding Strategies

Asking and Answering Questions (By: True Life I’m a Teacher)

Building Fluency (By:Step Into Second Grade)

 

Cause and Effect (By: Mrs. Sandberg’s Smarty Arties)

Going Deeper (By: Life in Fifth Grade)

Inference Thinking Stems (By: The Curriculum Center)

Finding the Main Idea (By: Life in First Grade)

 

Making Connections (By: Teacherific in 2nd Grade)

Making Inferences (By: Book Units Teacher)

Choosing a Just-Right Book (By: McDee’s Busy Bees)

Understanding Plot (By: Miss Klohn’s Classroom)

Point of View (By:Wise Guys)

Retelling (By: The Techy Teacher)

Self-Monitoring While Reading (By: Life in Fifth Grade)

Tackling a Text (By: The Good Life)

Visualizing (By: Teaching With a Mountain View)

Defining Words (By: Creating Readers and Writers)

Understanding What Reading Looks Like (By: Head Over Heels for Teaching)

Click here for more details on these amazing Anchor Charts!

Differentiated Instructional Strategy: Museum

Differentiation is a method of teaching that recognizes that students learn in different ways. Carol Ann Tomlinson believes differentiation means giving students multiple options for taking in information. Author Laura Robb said "differentiating instruction means that you observe and understand the differences and similarities among students and use this information to plan instruction."

Here, we focus on a particular differentiated instructional strategy: Museum!

Museum

Students display (on the wall or on a table) their finished product, poster, project, etc. Half of the class stays with their work, ready to answer questions and share information. The other half of the class wanders around (as if in a museum) looking at the projects, asking questions, and listening to the information.

 Once adequate time is given, the two groups trade places and repeat the process.

Click here to purchase our Differentiated Instructional Strategies Posters and Reference Cards.

Differentiated Instructional Strategy: Inverted Pyramid

Differentiation is a method of teaching that recognizes that students learn in different ways. Carol Ann Tomlinson believes differentiation means giving students multiple options for taking in information. Author Laura Robb said "differentiating instruction means that you observe and understand the differences and similarities among students and use this information to plan instruction." 

Here, we focus on a particular differentiated instructional strategy: The Inverted Pyramid!

Inverted Pyramid

This strategy helps students organize their thoughts.

• Each individual student writes down as many facts and details (on the assigned topic) as they can recall.
• Individual students pair up with a partner. The pair reviews their two lists and creates one new list, using only the best ideas from both.
• Two pairs then come together and create one list from the two lists. Again, use only the best ideas in the new list.
• Those two pairs now meet with another two pairs to develop one list.
• The class comes together, but remains in their final group.
• Assign two scribes to the board.
• Ideas from each group are shared for the scribes to write down.
• Only different ideas are added to the list.
• The list on the board should represent the best thinking of the entire class.

Students work together to organize the list from most important to least important.

Click here to purchase our Differentiated Instructional Strategies: Posters and Reference Cards Kit from TeachersPayTeachers.com!

Differentiated Instructional Strategy: Carousel Brainstorming

Differentiation is a method of teaching that recognizes that students learn in different ways. Carol Ann Tomlinson believes differentiation means giving students multiple options for taking in information. Author Laura Robb said "differentiating instruction means that you observe and understand the differences and similarities among students and use this information to plan instruction." 

Here, we focus on a particular differentiated instructional strategy: Carousel Brainstorming!

Carousel Brainstorming

This strategy focuses on reflective questioning.
   

*Divide the class into four groups. 

*Assign each group to a station where a reflection question is posted on chart paper.

*Give each group five minutes to respond to the question. Each group writes their thoughts the posted chart paper.

*After the allotted time, ring a bell (or give a signal) for the groups to rotate to the next chart.

*Each group will respond to each chart.

*At the end of the activity, each group will take turns reading all the responses to the entire class.

This activity can be used for sharing, for a test review, and as an introduction to a new unit of study.

Click here to purchase our Differentiated Instructional Strategy Poster and Reference Cards!

Reasons to Read

Great Reasons 

to Read!

·     Read to understand the past.

·     Read to explore your world.

·     Read to plan your future.

·     Read to visit new places.

·     Read to create new things.

·     Read to make good decisions.

·     Read to have fun.

·     Read to exercise your mind.

·     Read to keep in touch.

·     Read because you can!

Click here to download this poster for only $.95!

Five Context Clues

Definition     Synonyms     Antonyms

Contrast   General   

 

 When you use clues in a story to figure out the meaning

of an unknown word, you are using context clues.

1. Definition: The author explains the meaning of the word right in the sentence or selection.

Example: When Sara was hiking, she accidentally walked through a patch of brambles, which are prickly vines and shrubs.

2. Synonym: The author uses a word similar in meaning.

Example: Josh tripped over the ottoman in the living room. He then mumbled, "I wish people would not leave the footstool right in the middle of the room!"

3.Antonym: The author uses a word nearly opposite in meaning.

Example: My new puppy, Rex, is very frolicsome. Rex's mother Lady, however, is very serious and never seems to want to play.

4. Contrast: The author tells how something is different from the unknown word.

Example: The supermarket manager complained, "Why do we have such a plethora of boxes of cereal on the shelves? On the other hand, we hardly have any pancake and waffle mix."

5. General: The author uses several words that give clues to the word's meaning.

Example: It was a sultry day. The day was very hot and humid. If you moved at all, you would break out in a sweat. It was one of those days to drink water and stay in the shade.